But because his team was able to rally behind star quarterback Deshaun Watson (289 passing yards, 131 rushing yards, five total touchdowns), the 2015 version of Perry Tuttle, the Tigers can continue this magical run in the College Football Playoff. Fedora said this week that if his team upsets the No. 1 Tigers, it deserves a spot in the top four.
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On the next snap, Clemson DE Shaq Lawson was called for a late-hit penalty on the QB, and UNC scored four plays later on a 3-yard TD pass from Williams to Ryan Switzer that gave the Tar Heels a 16-14 lead with 3:52 left in the half.
The last time the Tar Heels won an ACC football championship was 1980 before there was a championship game…. The Tigers twice led the Tar Heels by 19 points – once after Deshaun Watson’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Artavis Scott with about five minutes to play in the third quarter, and again after Watson’s 2-yard touchdown run with about 11 ½ minutes to play. “That’s all I’m going to say about it. They were wrong”, the AP quoted UNC coach Larry Fedora as saying. UNC’s 382 yards was the lowest total offense output of the season and the only game the Tar Heels didn’t break the 400 yards. To put that number in perspective, Watson didn’t tally more than 13 incompletions in either of Clemson’s last three wins over Wake Forest, South Carolina and Syracuse.
There’s been a lot of talk this week on how North Carolina can mess things up in the college football playoff if they find a way to win tonight. “That was just Treasdall losing his mind, like he went insane on me”.
UNC senior QB Marquise Williams completed 11-of-33 passes for 224 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 45-37 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.
The 13-0 Tigers will make their first appearance in the College Football Playoff, having missed the inaugural event and settling for a trip to the Citrus Bowl in 2014. Clemson’s defensive line made life tough for the Tar Heel blockers putting Williams under near constant pressure.
“Those are guys that get after you”, Williams said. “Everybody was saying we’re still in it. That’s what I love”.
The Tar Heels needed only one play after a Clemson punt, with Williams’ toss to running back T.J. Logan resulting in a 46-yard touchdown play. “Anybody who’s seen the picture or the replay knows it was blown, but one play doesn’t lose you a game”. He’s a dynamic passer, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 27 touchdowns on the year (to go along with just 10 picks and a 70.4 completion percentage).
During the fourth quarter, Williams became the fifth player in ACC history to surpass 10,000 yards of total offense. The Tigers mounted a 97-yard scoring drive from there to go up 28-16.
Clemson trailed entering the second quarter for just the second time this season and led by just 21-16 at halftime.
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In the final two minutes, at least, UNC still had hope of victory – of one more improbable comeback. Swinney will need a strong ground game against the Tar Heels, as time of possession could be a major factor in the outcome of this game.
